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The talented technology-savvy immigrants who once served as the backbone of Silicon Valley's high-tech industry are foregoing jobs in California for positions in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and St. Louis, the Bay Citizen reported. This is a danger sign for the area's tech sector, warned members of a think tank.

Census data revealed this paradigm shift, outlined in a report from the Brookings Institution.

"Pittsburgh is an easier place to afford to live the American dream and get your foot in the door," said Matthew Hall, one of the Brookings brain-boxes. "That might sound like a pretty good option to a lot of people."

Across the country, highly skilled immigrants in the United States now outnumber lower-skilled ones — a trend that holds true in the Bay Area, the Bay Citizen reported.

At least 30 percent of the country’s working-age immigrants, regardless of legal status, have at least a bachelor’s degree, while only 28 percent lack a high school diploma.

If they took our jobs, it's because they were more qualified. And were OK with living in Cleveland.